Tips for Filing Flexible Spending Account Claims

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Filing a flexible spending and health reimbursement claim can be easy. Staff in the Department of Human Resources’ Benefits Division provided some tips and tricks to avoid issues with claims for Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (DC FSAs).

If you follow these tips, filing claims will be a breeze!

Do it now! It’s a good idea to submit claims as you incur them throughout the year. While you have until March 31, 2019 to file 2018 claims, you don’t need to wait to get reimbursed for approved medical expenses. It’s your money after all. Just have your receipt ready—you’ll need the information on it.

There’s an app for that. Get the ASIFlex Mobile App to manager your claims. You can check your balance, submit claims and more from anywhere and at any time. It’s free and available in the Apple Store and Google Play.

Go green! Sign up for direct deposit and email or text notification to save time, money and the environment. Log in to your online account to make these elections or fax or mail this form.

Get paid now and maybe later too. While Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account claims can only be paid out for amounts actually contributed to your account year to date, this does not mean that you shouldn’t submit claims for more than your current balance.

You can get a partial reimbursement now and once the additional funds are contributed, the pending amount will be paid to you.

Here’s an example: You send your son to summer daycare. It costs $400, but you’ve only contributed $300 to your Dependent Care FSA so far this year. You can file the claim for the full $400 now and get the $300 you contributed paid out now. Then once you’ve contributed the additional $100 from payroll deductions, that remaining balance will be paid out to you automatically.

If you submit the claim before waiting for your available balance to hit your expense amount—it saves you from forgetting, losing the receipt or spending the money elsewhere.

Don’t forget your dependent children. You can file a claim for your dependents—the key here is that they are certified in the ASIFlex system. This task must be completed every year and for every dependent. To certify your dependents you’ll need their date of birth, social security number and the name of the employer providing your health coverage. Here’s how.

Have additional questions about an FSA or HRA? Visit the Benefits Division on InSite.

PerkSpot Alert: Deals for Adventure Seekers

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These PerkSpot deals for County employees are sure to get your adrenaline pumping this summer!

Feel like you’re floating on air with 25 percent off at iFLY Indoor Skydiving facilities in Mission Valley and Oceanside. Reach new heights by saving more than 30 percent off lift tickets for Big Bear Mountain Resort’s Scenic Sky Chairlift that ascends through San Bernardino Forest. Be your own captain with Speed Boat Adventures – San Diego for more than 20 percent off rental fees. Or drop 80 feet down a waterslide at Aquatica for more than 25 percent off.

The fun doesn’t have to stop there. Put your hands up in the air, if you love roller coasters and sweet deals! Find discounted tickets to the following parks with rollercoasters on PerkSpot: up to 45 percent off Knott’s Berry Farm, up to 42 percent off Six Flags, up to 25 percent off Universal Studios Hollywood, and up to 29 percent off, plus the second day free at LEGOLAND California.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

Governor Appoints Sheriff Gore to State Board

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San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore has been appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to become one of the 13 members of the Board of State and Community Corrections.

The independent agency was created in 2012. Some of its duties include: implementing state regulations for California’s adult and juvenile detention systems; developing and maintaining data on California’s public safety realignment programs; developing standards to select and train corrections and probation officers; and administering millions of dollars in public safety grants.

The Sheriff’s Department released a statement saying Gore was honored to be appointed to an important leadership position that “provides leadership to adult and juvenile criminal justice systems as well as technical assistance on a wide range of community corrections issues across the state. In the last several years, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has instituted groundbreaking reentry programs and has opened award winning detention facilities.”

Gore’s appointment to the Board of State and Community Corrections requires confirmation from the State Senate. The position is non-paying.

How We Make San Diego a Great Place to Live… and Visit

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Summertime in San Diego, and the livin’ is… busy.

We get visitors all year round, but summer is the season we’re especially teeming with tourists. While we may not be crazy about the crowds, we know tourism is a major driver of the local economy. More than 35 million people came to the region last year, spending billions of dollars.

Although we’re not in the tourism business directly, County workers do things every day to make this a great place to live and a great place to visit. As we get into the thick of the summer I wanted to highlight some of the things you do collectively to make the season so enjoyable!  

Those of us who live inland know there’s more to San Diego than beaches, but let’s face it, surf and sand are our claim to fame. And that reputation rests on the water being clean for swimmers.

The County’s Department of Environmental Health has an extensive program to check water all along our coastline to make sure it is indeed safe. You don’t even need to get to your favorite beach to see the swimming conditions. Go to SDBeachInfo.com to receive water quality information from Oceanside to Imperial Beach! 

And if you want to skip the ocean and instead lounge by the pool, you can enjoy one of our public pools or spas without any worries.  DEH inspectors are hard at work there, too, ensuring water quality standards are met to keep you safe.

What about those summer barbecues, food trucks at picnics, or just plain summer dining out? While the chefs handle the flavor, our restaurant inspectors make sure every bite you eat is germ-free.

Mosquitoes and other summer pests? Yep, we help to minimize impacts associated with those lovable creatures through inspections, pesticide compliance and trappings.

Leaving town? Do you need a passport to go on that summer vacation? The County processed 27,000 passport applications this past year so that our residents could travel abroad to see their friends and relatives or explore cultures around the world.

How about enjoying a family park? We have campsites throughout our park system for an overnight staycation, summer camp activities for kids out of school or even movie nights for your family or a special date. And out on the hiking trails, our Sheriff’s department is helping those who run into trouble get back out safely.

We take no credit for our world famous weather, but we do play a part in keeping our skies blue. The Air Pollution Control District works with businesses to make sure they operate cleanly. It gives out millions of dollars in grants so customers can get trucks or other equipment that cut pollution in addition to constantly monitoring the air around the county. 

Did you sign up for one of our summer library reading programs? Kids and adults are logging some serious hours enjoying fiction and non-fiction literature as part of their summer down time. And soon-to-be kindergartners are participating in a 10-session program to help them prepare socially and academically for their formal academic journey.

Some of our social workers and community partners welcomed foster kids to their first ever summer camp experience. In some cases, siblings were re-united, while in other cases, friendships were initiated and lifetime memories were made. 

Summer travel requires extra trips to the gas pumps. Agriculture, Weights and Measures makes sure every gallon you pump is accounted for in your tank! They also make sure that those summer shorts and sandals you bought were scanned properly so that your credit card was charged accurately.

Our outdoor yoga classes, the Live Well 5K, nature hikes and sports fields help round out some healthy entertainment to cap off another great summer.  Our first responders keep each of these events safe while other county employees organize and execute them to the pure delight of our residents.

There’s so much that makes San Diego attractive, for anyone visiting or living here as we do. I hope you’ll have a chance to savor some of it yourselves over the next couple months. You set the bar for the quality of life our residents and visitors are enjoying this summer, and you deserve to enjoy it, too!

 

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Live Well San Diego 5K Lets You Be an Everyday Hero

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The countdown is on to this year’s Live Well San Diego 5K, but the action starts well before race day! To help you get ready for the run, or just increase your physical activity overall, you can participate in the Live Well San Diego 31-Day 5K Fitness Challenge during the month of July.

The 5th annual race is on Sunday, July 29 at the Waterfront Park. The family and pet-friendly event also features a Kids 1-Mile Fun Run, activities, vendors and food trucks. The theme this year is “Celebrating Everyday Heroes” and local police, fire and military heroes will be on hand.

The 5K starts at 7:30 a.m. and the kids run begins at 8:15 a.m. The race benefits the life-saving work of the San Diego Blood Bank. County employees can use the discount code “CNTY5” when registering.

The 31-Day 5K Fitness Challenge offers an easy way to train for the race. You can sign up for email, text or Google Calendar notifications that offer a daily fitness challenge and training tip – all geared toward helping you participate in the event on July 29.

The tips will help you increase your physical activity and work on your personal fitness goals. The training schedule shows the average time, distance or additional steps you need to complete each day to help get you ready to participate in the 5K.

Each daily notification will offer a healthy, safe or thriving themed call-to-action, along with resources from Live Well San Diego recognized partners and County of San Diego programs related to the challenge.

You can sign up with friends and co-workers for support and extra encouragement. The challenge features meet-up walks, hikes and bike rides throughout the month so you can enjoy a workout with others.

You can sign up for the challenge on the Live Well San Diego website.

County’s Got Talent?

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Would you compete in a County’s Got Talent competition? Or would you be more into cheering on your co-workers?

We’re trying to gauge interest in an event of that kind for employees. Musicians, magicians, moonwalkers and more – want to take the stage?

Let us know! Take the poll (on the InSite homepage.) If you think you’d like to enter, send us an email for our interest list. 

Sign up for Text Alerts for County Events!

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You have another option to stay up-to-date on everything happening at the County. Sign up to get text messages about Countywide events, Employee Wellness activities and/or professional development opportunities.

You can sign up for all three categories or just the ones that interest you. Here’s how (message and data rates apply): 

  • Text “CoSD EVENTS” to 468311 for Countywide events
  • Text “CoSD WELLNESS” to 468311 for Wellness events
  • Text “CoSD PROFDEV” to 468311 for professional development opportunities

If you decide they’re not for you, reply “CoSD STOP” to stop receiving the messages.

Please note, this is different than the workplace emergency alert system. You don’t need to enroll in that program – during an emergency, notifications will automatically be sent to your work and personal cellphones. Please review your contact information in PeopleSoft Self Service to make sure it is up to date.

AAACE Hosts Juneteenth Celebration for Employees

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The African American Association of County Employees (AAACE) received a proclamation from the Board of Supervisors June 19 to recognize the annual Juneteenth holiday.

AAACE also held a Juneteenth celebration last Friday. The holiday marks the official end of slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted.

The AAACE event at the County Operations Center had a packed program. There was singing, dancing and a speaker. Plus, guests were invited to browse a Juneteenth gallery with books and artifacts donated by the San Diego County Library. It awarded three young scholars with $500 for educational support. And AAACE became the first Employee Resource Group (ERG) to become a Live Well San Diego partner.

View a photo gallery of the Juneteenth celebrations at the County.

To learn more about AAACE, visit its InSite page.